What the Crime
Prevention through Strategic ICT Applications (CPTSIA) concept is set to achieve is the development of a framework for
the strategic application of internet WEB 2.0 innovations against crime.
The framework is to pave the way for the consideration of a new
paradigm for enhanced efficiency in crime prevention, information operations
and intelligence gathering. It focuses on providing the essential structures
for the full-scale development and utilization of social media and some aspects
of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) concepts for the maximization of its
benefits on a global perspective using real-time interactive attributes of web
2.0. The Open Source
Intelligence is however being implemented in many intelligence communities
strictly for the purpose of intelligence gathering from publicly available
information. This being very useful still represents the application of Web 2.0
in narrower perspectives, particularly in view of the enormous potentials and
benefits of the emerging social media driven by web 2.0 that is fast changing
contemporary information landscapes. Below is a presentation of the framework dynamics graphical view
and its conceptual overview.
This is built on the assumption that there are three key players
in the domain of crime and crime prevention efforts: (1) The POLICE and all
crime prevention institutions, (2) The PEOPLE – law-abiding members of the public, (3) The CRIMINALS and all
their cronies.
Each of these players is
fixed on each vertex of the
circumscribed triangle (a triangle enclosed in circle) with all the three vertices of the triangle touching the
circumference of the cycle. The circumcircle’s circumference provides the
overall operating sphere for the players and this then avails shared operating
spaces apportioned to each party by the areas cordoned by each side of the
triangle within the cycle. This is geared towards enhancing concerted mass actions against
crime through timely and strategic information sharing. The WEB 2 tools provide
an open sourced, freely accessible platform that readily supports real-time
information sharing through limitless interactions and collaborations. This
does not however, replace the traditional roles of the police or other crime
prevention institutions, but it brings an enhancement through the provision of
interactive community-oriented platform to enable safe and strategic public
participation.
The framework is built with the premise that the three key parties
involved in crime, crime impacts and crime prevention efforts are identified as
follows:
ü The CRIMINAL - perpetrates the crime, condones, aids and abet crime.
ü The SOCIETY – suffers the effects of crime as victims, directly or indirectly.
ü The POLICE and associated crime prevention institutions – Undertakes the duty
of crime prevention, resolution and protection of the society from the
consequences of crime.
The police owe the
society the duty of acting appropriately in their protection to prevent crime,
minimize its impacts where protection is not feasible and unravel the already
committed crime to prevent further occurrences and also serve as deterrence.
Using the CPTSIA approach, the effect will be a radical exposure
of all acts or perceived acts of crime through unrelenting information sharing
at a community level. This will ultimately impact on the three involved parties
in the following ways:
1. The POLICE and crime prevention institutions will be availed more information
through timely, limitless and uninhibited interactions with the people. This
will avail the platform for the much desired collaboration between the people
and the police as the people’s fear can be addressed through the anonymity that
the internet provides when rightly applied. CPTSIA will equip the Police to
better plan; act more effectively and with a higher level of precision based on
the greater flow of information that enhances intelligence. The currently
existing collaboration and information volunteering gap (in Nigeria for
example) between the police and the people will be closed as the Police will be
able to access at ease a stream of information of strategic value – from this
also Open Source Intelligence is derived (OSINT). They also will help in appropriately
determining what is required in terms of personnel and logistics to effectively
deal with every emerging issue.
2. The CRIMINAL will become aware that there is no more covering for his/her
illicit acts: everybody is watching, everyone is also empowered to report and
collaborate with others in real-time and, in very discreet and convenient ways
such that the chances of finishing the criminal act without being discovered or
apprehended are obviously very minimal. This works in the sense that crime
usually requires secrecy and covering to travail. The act of crime abhors
exposure of any kind as it makes the criminal very unsafe and, the chances of
success very uncertain. On the other hand, the possible effects of this on the
criminal is that he/she will either become obstinate and continue but with
greater risks; or in alternative, the innate rationale attributes of human in
him/her will influence his/her choice of averting the visibly increased risks
resulting from the empowerment of every prying eyes to safely and discreetly
spread information. A risk to this is the criminals seeking to compromise the
platform or entire system through malicious programs and or diversionary false
alerts, but this can be effectively mitigated by the networks forensics aspects
of the system which can be used to track down perpetrators and successfully
prosecuting them with well-preserved digital evidences, and ultimately deter
others to a very reasonable extent.
3. The PEOPLE
(law-abiding public) will be
enabled and empowered to collaborate with one another and also safely support
relevant government agencies in crime prevention true information volunteering.
This will result from their enhanced interaction and collaborations with all to
make their neighbourhoods safer. This also comes with a sense of satisfaction,
confidence and pride in having the enablement to take active parts in running
their communities. In addition to collaborations, the people are able to always
alert the police and each other to act or respond in an enhanced, safe, timely
and informed manner. Importantly, the fact that the people are able to secretly
and anonymously send alerts and track outcomes can also produce the following
effects:
v Frighten and deter most criminals as it becomes obvious that
their acts are no more secret and safe,
v Assist the police and communities to act in an agile manner,
v Further equip and spur the police to act decisively as their
challenges and works are made more transparent in the public domains which in
turns generates a larger followership and accountability demands for the
reported incidents,
v Put the police on their toes as the usual challenges of shortfall
in information supply, minimal assistance and collaboration by the public would
have been eliminated.
v Assist the communities to rally together in supporting
one-another, and in helping the police by putting forward obstacles that could
effectively block all escape routes in the case of violent crimes.
v Assist the people in planning to avert very high risk incident
scenes where necessary.
